Shattered Emotions
by khatariah
Summary: Cass lived her whole life as a normal girl, and that never bothered her. But, after a stunning discovery she is suddenly lost in a world she doesn't understand. Past and future are now irrevocably intertwined and perhaps she is holding the threads of fate in her hands..? Or is it something far more dark and dangerous that's holding her? TRxOC
1. Dirt and Tears

**Soo, this will be my first HP story, though it will be totally original, and will mostly have nothing in common with the main Harry Potter plotline! It will probably take some time until I get to the core of the story, at least few chapters so I really hope you'll like it! Tom Riddle & OC pairing, though there will be other possible twists. For now, it remains T rated, but with Tom Riddle involved, I really have no idea how or will it stay that way xD**

**Characters are mostly OC although some of them may or may not have last names like characters from the books!**

* * *

_**1. Dirt and Tears**_

_27. August 2013. - Egypt_

The walls of the large tomb were beautifully decorated with hieroglyphs. Cassandra looked around happily, her eyes large in excitement. It has been years since the last time she felt this happy about something. Turning away from the room and towards the hallway, her lamp still in her hand, she looked left and right, searching.

"Victoria," she yelled in the semi-darkness "You should come and see this!"

Then, she was again facing the room. By the looks of it, it seemed that the room held the riches of the pharaoh. Scattered in the dust, Cassandra could get glimpses of golden artifacts, beautifully crafted with gems. She barely held herself from picking something up and cleaning it from the dirt. Something such as this should never be locked away in the darkness and smudged with dirt.

"Cass, seems like we hit the jackpot this time," her mother said from the door.

Victoria Cassidy proudly beamed up to her daughter. A large smile was playing on her lips, as she entered the room. But, despite her happiness, Cassandra could easily see dark shadows beneath her eyes, how her face was tired. Right now, Cass deducted, only adrenaline kept her up.

"Who do you think all this belonged to?" Cassandra traced her fingers over the carved walls, trying not to damage the remaining color.

"Well, initially I wasn't sure, but after further examining the cartouche…" her mother smirked "I think what we have here is the tomb of Queen Nefertiti."

"What?" her loud voice made Victoria frown.

"Shush… This is still a theory. I don't want to be laughed at if it proves wrong," her mother told her as she let her glance pass over everything in the room "Besides, we still haven't found any clues about the actual sarcophagus."

Cassandra still felt her heart banging on her chest but she nodded sternly. The scientific community was a skeptic bunch, and after her mother's last fiasco… Another wrong move might get Victoria out of the important circles. But, Cassandra still wanted to believe that this was the tomb of the Queen Nefertiti, even if it proved wrong.

"Come on, sweetie," Victoria interrupted her thoughts "It's getting late, and honestly after this, I am very tired."

Cassandra nodded towards her mother and left the room. But, instead of sleeping in her tent, she spent that night writing in her journal. She already tried deciphering the texts on the wall, since her adrenaline and excitement were keeping her up. The more she translated, the more she felt disappointed. Certainly, the texts were mainly telling stories about Queen Nefertiti and her life, but nothing firmly told anything about this being the place where she was buried.

Sighing, Cass left her journal on the side. Egyptians surely were people with a vivid imagination. Such stories about magic, gods and goddesses were usual for that period. Yet, Cassandra wanted something real… Evidence she could actually use, not magical stories full of impossible things. With a yawn she slipped comfortably beneath her blanket. She fell asleep not long afterwards, thankful for the calm darkness surrounding her.

* * *

_Cassandra… The Amulet._

The Sun was already shinning intensively when Cass woke up. It was still chilly, but she knew that soon the hard heat will be upon her again. Her mother was still sleeping in her tent, as were the rest of the researchers that came along, old and grumpy Mr. Wolfe and the ever-excited Malcolm what's-his-last-name. It seemed that, as per usual, she was the first to wake up.

She picked up her lamp and entered the tomb. Cass knew that she shouldn't do that, at least not until some of the adults was awake, but somehow she felt a strange urge to visit the room from yesterday. It felt as if she couldn't resist it. Walking though the long hallways, she was more aware of the many gazes on her, as if the pictures on the wall were observing her. Cass shook her head. Now was not the time to get her imagination working. With a hurried step, she entered the well-known room.

It was as glorious as she remembered it. With her lamp she illuminated the objects on the ground. Carefully stepping through the piles of jewelry, weapons and figurines she went further through the long room. There was a strange electricity in the air that made her heart beat faster and the hair on the back of her neck raise up.

An altar stood before her. Too an amateur it would just look like a big piece of stone, but her knowledge of pictures and hieroglyphs made her realize it was much more. She made a full circle around it, trying to determine it's use. Nothing was pulling her anymore, as if the strange force disappeared into thin air. Or, perhaps she reached the place she was looking for?

Walking around, her fingers tracing the cold stone and it's markings, she felt a strange scratchy sound beneath her feet. Like something metallic was brushing the stone beneath her. Cass bent down and slowly brushed away the dirt only to see something shining brightly under it. The necklace had a fine, golden chain, unusually heavy. A beautiful stone was hanging from the chain. Dark blue and beautiful.

_Lapis lazuli._

She was now excited and couldn't wait for her mother to wake up, only so she could show it to her. But then a realization hit her. If she showed the necklace to her mother, it will certainly be taken away from her to a museum. Frowning, she deducted that she didn't want that. She pulled the beautiful necklace into her pocket. Everything screamed that it wasn't right for her to do that, but she couldn't bear to lose that simple piece of jewelry. Why? She had no idea.

And that was what scared her the most.

* * *

"Cass," Victoria asked "Bring me my journal, it's right there, on the ground."

Cassandra was sitting in the corner of one of the long hallways, while her mother was translating the texts on the walls. She wasn't really paying attention to anything, her eyes empty and not really focused on anything around her. Her both hands were in her pockets, her left was playing with the amulet.

"Cass!" this made her jump a bit from the floor "Journal. Now."

Cassandra nodded as she stood up from the dirt.

"What is going on with you?" Victoria asked as she looked her daughter critically "You are usually much more excited. Is something wrong?"

"Erm… Not really," Cass sighed slowly.

"Sweetie, I know you better than that," Victoria slightly frowned, worried "You don't have to tell me what's bothering you, but at least try and get a grip while we're working. If you can't, perhaps it would be better if you went back to your tent."

Cassandra recognized the irritation in her mother's voice, but wasn't shaken in the least. She knew that Victoria wanted to know everything that was going on in her head, all the time. But, in Cassandra's opinion that was just ridiculous. She was now almost seventeen, and she had the right to keep some things away from her mother.

"Fine. I'll leave," Cass finally answered with a scowl obvious on her face. Before Victoria could even try to stop her, she already was halfway through the tomb. On the way she passed the other two researchers who were already well acquainted with the face expression she was wearing. Good. The last thing she needed now was someone trying to make thing better between her and Victoria.

Victoria. Not mum or mother… It will always be Victoria. She couldn't wait to go back to France, to her father and go to school with friends, go out with Mike… As much as she loved going all over the world with Victoria and discovering all the amazing places, she was never able to have a normal conversation with her. The two of them always talked like two scientists, colleagues but never like mother and daughter.

Upon entering her tent, Cass wiped the few tears that were clouding her eyes. Throwing her journal down, near her feet she sat down in obvious anger. That was something she was exceptionally good with. Turning her sadness and tears into anger.

Cassandra took a few deep breaths in order to calm herself. She was better than this, and Victoria surely didn't deserve her tears. Actually, she didn't think anyone deserved her tears, because anyone who could make her cry surely didn't deserve her or her emotions. Except her father, Cass remembered. For him, she would walk through hell and back.

Cassandra pushed one of her hands in her pocket. The beautiful amulet in her hands made her feel the same pinch of guilt like when she snatched it into her pocket from the ground. She raised the beautiful blue stone a bit nearer. It seemed as if the darker and lighter patterns danced on it, like they swirled. She pursed her lips as she thought about it.

Perhaps just this one time. Something in her begged her to try the damn necklace, to put it around her neck. No harm if it's just once, right? Cass just wanted to feel how the stone would seem against her pale skin and how will the gold contrast with her dark red hair. It will be her small guilty secret she'll never reveal to anyone.

Cassandra attached the cold chain on the back of her neck. It was cold, soothing and it felt wonderful against her skin. For the first time today, she smiled widely, her chest full of pleasant butterflies. In a better mood already, Cassie took her journal back in her hands happily and roamed through it's pages. After a while, she felt sleep gripping her. With open arms she accepted the darkness as it guided her though.

* * *

"So, she just fell asleep in the middle of the corridor?"

"Well, it seems so…"

"Hush, you two… You will wake her up!"

"Well, it's about time she wakes up, don't you think?"

"She's waking up!"

Cassandra opened her eyes, as the voices disappeared. Five unknown faces were looking at her, as she frowned and took a deep tired breath. Shaking her head, she looked around, unable to recognize her surroundings.

"Wha- Who are you?" she asked these unknown people around her "This is a private digging site."

"Well, this place is old.. But I doubt it's as old to become a digging site," one of the unknown guys chuckled and rolled his eyes.

Upon closer inspecting the five people around her, Cassandra decided that they were not much older than herself, which was a positive thing. Yet, the corridor she was in wasn't recognizable to her, which was not such a good thing. As she rose from the floor, she realized just how much of a headache she was dealing with. She needed to get away from this place wherever 'this place' was or else Victoria will be pissed at her.

"Umm… Where is the exit? I really need to go back to where I came from," Cass slowly said to the confused people in front of her.

"Go? But the school year just started, you can't go," a boy told her, his eyebrow raised.

"Yes, and the ceremony in the Great Hall is just beginning in a few minutes," a petite blonde on the side told her, as she looked over her "Where is you uniform? Why aren't you wearing it? Which house are you in?"

Cassandra slightly paled at their words and the questions the pretty blonde was asking her. Uniform? House? What were they talking about?

"Look, I really know nothing about uniforms or Great Halls," Cass shook her head "I need to go back to the excavation site in Egypt, and I actually have no idea how I got here."

The small group observed her for a few moments as if they were deciding whether to trust her or not.

"Can I just talk to someone who's in charge of this place?" she asked them with exasperation in her voice.

"Fine… We can take you to the Head of our House," the blonde finally nodded "Somehow I get the feeling you really have no idea about this."

The small blonde threw a worried glance to her four friends and then looked over to Cass, who was still clutching to her journal. The blonde beckoned towards the hallway as she walked.

"So, you really have no idea how you got here?" she asked after a while.

"No," Cass answered shortly as she looked around the large hallways "I remember falling asleep in my tent, and then… I just woke up here."

"Strange," the blonde agreed with Cassandra's thoughts "Oh, and my name is Allegra Tornwake, seventh year, House Gryffindor."

"Pleased to meet you, my name is Cassandra Mason," she answered using her father's last name. She was confused by the name she used to describe her House. Both terms 'Gryffindor' and 'House' were fairly unknown to her, so she decided not to say anything about that. She was as suspicious as it was, no need to seem like that even more.

Suddenly, Allegra stopped in front of a door and knocked, before she opened them and let Cass and herself inside. The room was a strange mixture of a crazy scientist laboratory and her father's room. Papers, books and artifacts were all scattered around. Cass slightly smiled, this kind of organized mess was very familiar to her.

"Ah, Ms Thornwake, you brought a guest?"

Cass tensed slightly before she found the person who spoke the words. She slightly gaped at his strange appearance, but then remembered herself and closed her mouth.

"Yes, professor," Allegra nodded "Me and a few others found her sleeping in the corridor."

"That must've been uncomfortable, has it Miss..?"

"Umm… Mason. My name is Cassandra Mason," she was still gripping her journal as if her life depended on it.

"Well, Ms Mason, my name is professor Dumbledore," the man smiled and then his calm gaze stopped on the necklace around her neck. Cass was still wearing it "Ms Thornwake, I trust you have an Entrance Ceremony to attend. I will see to it that our guest is taken care of."

"Of course, professor," she nodded sternly and left.

"Ms Mason," he switched his attention towards her "Shall I ask where or when did you come from?"

Cassandra felt her heart beating faster. She took one deep breath to calm herself, and then she started talking.

* * *

**Hmmm… That's it for now, though I really felt a strong urge to continue writing this chapter… Gotta leave some good ideas for the next one, right? Oh, so for now I really don't want to reveal much about the amulet, Cass or how the hell did a muggle girl end up in Hogwarts, nor how did she end almost 70 years in the past. Yep, it's all connected but for now, I will keep my mouth shut ^^**

**Please rate and review, because I am really thrilled to hear anything from you! Do you like this so far or not so much? Does my English suck? (I am from Serbia, after all)… Anything is very much appreciated!**

**Thanks,**

**-khatariah**


	2. Situations and Decisions

_Okay, here we go, the second chapter is here! I had a fun time writing it, and it's mostly in dialogues so I believe it will be much easier to read! I will give some basic information about what happened and about the amulet, but there is still much to be discovered! I hope you'll enjoy ^^_

_Oh and thanks a lot to all my reviewers! Whenever I read something from you, I feel like writing more and more :D_

* * *

**2. Situations and Decisions**

"That is ridiculous," she snapped, her voice angrier then she intended it to be.

"Oh, no Ms Mason, it's quite true," Dumbledore patiently answered.

Biting her lip, she tried to make something logical out of the situation at hand. She was always a no-nonsense girl, not really interested in fantasies. All she believed in were facts, things she could see with her eyes, things that could be proven. That was buried deep in her nature, and Cass partly blamed her parents for that trait. It wasn't easy living with two archaeologists.

"So, you are telling me that the year is 1944, and that this is a magical school in Scotland," Cass scowled at her words "And that somehow that all has something to do with the necklace I am wearing."

He just nodded a simple smile on his lips. Mysteries and puzzles were what she adored solving most of the time, but taking something as frivolous as magic in the equation, made it out of her range of expertise. And for Cass, that was so infuriating. Everything inside of her told her that those were lies, and that she was somehow being deceived. Her gaze slightly narrowed as it met the gaze of the professor.

"That's splendid. Now, I would like to return back to where I came from," her voice was completely flat. This was just a bad joke someone was playing on her, and once she finds out who is behind it she was going to make some things clear.

"I am afraid that is impossible," he frowned.

"You are the one with magic," she pointed out, her voice stronger "Can't you just say abracadabra or something and throw me back?"

"The situation is more complicated, I'm afraid," he slightly chuckled at her words.

"Fine," she spat angrily "I'll play your little game." Cass concurred, deciding it might be her only possible way out.

She glanced over the office which, strangely enough, did seem quite as something out of a fantasy story. Scrolls, gigantic books covered in dust, potions on the shelves… And, the appearance of the man in front of her. Well, at least his robe seemed convincing enough. Cass huffed.

"Why can't you return me back?" she asked, slightly cocking her head on the side. She wasn't interested in knowing anything more about 'magic' or anything else this man could tell her, except her way home.

"It might cause time distortions," he answered frankly "The time was probably already ripped when you came back, using the necklace. Doing that again might cause a disaster."

"Okay," she nodded, trying not to explode "What does the necklace has to do with anything?"

"The necklace you are currently wearing is something I believed I would never see," his gaze flew over the amulet "It is also a very powerful artifact, very old, made for an Egyptian Queen and a very powerful witch…"

"Nefertiti… Yes, I know," Cass rolled her eyes "I found it in one of the newly found tombs in Egypt."

And then I stole it, because I heard it speaking to me in my dreams.

"As I was saying, the amulet was made by Queen Nefertiti herself," the professor said "It is said that the amulet allowed her to go back though time and space. It allowed her to control her husband and his religious revolution in the right way. Her way."

"Akhenaton and Nefertiti were heretics, trying to completely change the religion in Egypt. From hundreds of Gods, to only one – Aton," Cass said, almost absent-mindedly remembering her lessons.

"True. But, the Queen never wanted that, but since her husband was very passionate about the matter, she, as his wife had little right to oppose him," Dumbledore continued "Being also a powerful witch, she also couldn't let the matter slip through her fingers. She wanted to protect herself, but also the people of Egypt. This is why she sometimes needed to re-do things, so that they could be perfect."

"But they weren't." Cass shook her head "She was killed just two years after her husband."

Dumbledore didn't answer anything, he just gave her a mysterious look, which made Cass even more irritated.

"Okay. Let's suppose for a minute that all of this is true, which I don't truly believe in," Cass said "Why just leave the amulet unprotected. If it was so important, why wasn't it protected?"

"The amulet was secured by magic. It was cursed in such way that no one but Nefertiti could use it," he answered.

"And yet, here I am," she smirked.

"And yet, her you are Ms Mason," he agreed "So how could all this happen?"

Cass was irritated by the fact that Dumbledore seemed so calm. Perhaps, if she was out of her mind enough to believe all of this, she would've been scared. Yet, the professor in front of her seemed completely unaffected by the situation at hand. After a long silence, whilst Cass was lost in her thoughts, she finally spoke.

"You mentioned magic far too many times," she just said.

"Ah, yes I can imagine how strange that would seem to someone like you," Cass frowned a bit on his words. 'Someone like her?' "But that is what this school is about, after all."

"Well then, my place most certainly isn't here," she smiled, finally seeing a possible way out "I definitely possess no such talent, so I should be out of this place. I am sure that you don't let just any non-magical human enter."

"That is one more thing that puzzles me more than anything, Ms Mason," he told her "Non-magical beings cannot enter Hogwarts, not under any circumstances. Which would either mean you broke our shields," Cass could tell that that was not an option here "Or, you are not so much non-magical as you thought."

Feeling that the situation was more pressing, more infuriating then before, she sighed. The pressure over her head was enormous, and all she wanted now was to drop somewhere and sleep until she was back in Egypt. What made her even more irritated was also the fact that the more she heard, the more she believed that it was all truth. It terrified her that it didn't feel wrong. Being here felt familiar and comfortable.

"Enough of this nonsense," she told him, a deep frown scarring her features "I want to go back. I don't give a damn about magic, this school or anything in between. I just want to go back."

The last few words sounded more like a sob, then an angry order, as she wished they sounded.

"At the moment, I am afraid that is not possible," there was something that looked sincere on his face. It was almost like compassion, or pity. Like he would know something about how she was feeling.

"Why? Can't I just take off this damn thing and go back home?" she took off the amulet and threw it onto the desk, almost praying for something to happen.

Nothing did.

"The matter is much more complicated, as I previously explained," he continued "The problem is also that the amulet wasn't made for such long journeys in time and space."

"So, what am I to do?" the look in her eyes lost the angry note almost completely, now it was sad and scared.

"You will, for now, become a student here," he calmly said "Sixth year will be fine, I suppose. We will sort you into one of the Houses and you will normally go to classes like the others here."

How dare he? Cass couldn't believe what he had just told her. It wasn't fair for him to choose what will happen to her. She didn't want to have anything with magic, or crazy old men. Cass just wanted to run and run until she came back to her time and to Egypt. She only stopped angry tears spilling from her eyes because she didn't want to see him give her another one of those pitying looks he gave her earlier.

"No. Can't I just go somewhere… Normal?" she asked.

"Current events in the world are preventing me from putting you anywhere else. This is the safest place for you now," he said "But, even if the situation wasn't as it is, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to let you go just like that with one of the most treasured relics, and with the knowledge of this world you now possess."

"So what am I… A prisoner?" she spat.

"No, you are a transfer student Ms Mason,"

"Certainly doesn't feel that way," her gaze narrowed "I don't give a damn about that amulet, just take it, for all I care. I just want back to my life, my normal life with no magical amulets or magic schools."

Her voice sounded defeated and she knew she had little choice. Cass didn't knew whether this all was a fraud or was it, by some miracle, the truth, all she knew was that she had little choice in the matter at hand.

"I will make the necessary arrangements," he nodded "The Ceremony is over by now, so we will sort you here in a few moments. You will be given a uniform and a room you will share with four more ladies."

"I don't know any magic," she suddenly remembered "How am I going to go to classes like everyone else?"

"You will come here every weekend and I will teach you slowly," he smiled slightly "Perhaps you will find the experience… Enlightening."

"I doubt that," she huffed, crossing her arms, but then added more seriously "You know I don't belong here."

"That remains to be seen, Ms Mason," he smiled once more, leaving Cass speechless.

* * *

"Why do I need to be sorted in a House?" she asked as she looked at the ugly hat in front of her with obvious distaste.

"Every student needs to be sorted, that is how the school works," he smiled again lifting the hat from the table.

"So, it doesn't really matter what House am I in, right?" Cass crossed her arms.

"Houses are very important, Ms Mason, since every House accepts only a certain type of student," he answered patiently "A House is your home and family while you're attending Hogwarts. You will probably need some time to understand how the system works."

"No need for that," Cass answered with assuring voice "I'll be out of here fast."

"There are four Houses you can be Sorted in," he continued, as if he didn't hear her "Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. According to your own wishes and ambitions the hat will choose your House."

"Why does a hat get to choose where I will spend my time?" Cass asked sarcastically.

"But, this is no normal hat, it's magical, and it can discover your desires and ambitions, your own personality," he answered with a slight smile "It doesn't make mistakes, Ms Mason."

"Yes, magical artifacts never do, except if I am somehow entangled with them," Cass murmured under her breath.

Her logical side was still screaming at her to stop this nonsense, but her adventurous side just wanted to see what's around the corner. That's what got her in trouble the last time, she realized with a frown. Some people never learn…

"You may put the hat on, Ms Mason," professor told her, interrupting her line of thoughts "It won't hurt you."

Cassandra took the hat in her hands, carefully, not quite ready to believe to another magical artifact. She looked over it, a simple leather hat that looked so old as if it could crumple right there in her arms. Cass hesitated for a few seconds before she put it on her head, waiting for something bad to happen.

_'Ahh, a time traveler and a muggleborn witch. We don't see many of you in the last few years. So, tell me, what House would you like to be in?'_

It took Cass a few seconds to realize that the Hat was speaking… It was speaking in her head. She frowned, wondering whether she was finally gone nuts. With a sigh, she decided she had little other choice but to answer, the same way.

_'Isn't that your job? I don't really care where you put me, since I will be leaving soon.'_

_'Hmmm… No, not Hufflepuff, perhaps Gryffindor. You seem to be very intelligent and there is a certain ambition in you that would make you great if you enter Slytherin. But still, it seems like the choice for you is..'_

"Ravenclaw," the Hat said out loud, surprising her.

Quickly, she took off the Hat and pushed it back into professor's arms. She didn't like the feeling of someone or something entering in her brain. This was more messed up than she hoped it would be. Dumbledore, on the other hand, watched her with obvious interest.

"I'm in Ravenclaw, what does that mean?" she asked, her voice still a bit on the edge.

"Well, since you've obviously a very clever girl, I cannot say this surprised me," Dumbledore smiled "Though I must admit I did want someone like you in Gryffindor."

"I still have no idea what does all that mean," she pointed out.

"Never mind, Ms Mason," he chuckled "For now, you will be escorted to the Ravenclaw tower where you will find you things, and you will be free to rest. Tomorrow, you will come and visit me so we can decide on your subjects and start practicing."

Cass just nodded, still a bit confused that she is doing this. There was a light knock on the door before a girl entered in the office. She was tall and slender, probably older than Cass, and she held her head high as she entered.

"Professor, you asked for me," her voice was polite, but somewhat cold.

"Ms Belby, as the Ravenclaw Prefect, I would like for you to meet the newest member of your House. This is Miss Cassandra Amber," he said "She will be in the same year as you, so I hope you are ready to show her around Hogwarts."

Cassandra didn't miss that he changed her last name. Damn, this is soon going to become very confusing. Cass was never that good with lies…

"Of course, professor Dumbledore," the Prefect girl looked at Cass and smiled slightly "My name is Emilia Belby. Come with me and I'll show you the way to the Tower."

"Nice to meet you," Cass returned the smile stiffly.

"Off you go, then," Dumbledore said "Go and rest Ms Amber, and I'll meet you here after breakfast tomorrow."

"Right. Good night, professor," Cassandra answered and then followed the Prefect girl out.

They walked in silence for a while. Cass was too busy strangling the life out of her journal, still, and she didn't bother too much with remembering the way through school. A decision she will certainly live to regret.

"Most other Common Rooms have passwords," Emilia huffed finally after a silence "We do not need something like that, because we have nothing to hide. Besides passwords can always be easily overheard and stolen, while knowledge cannot."

Cass kept quiet. That sounded strange. Were they forbidden to visit other Common Rooms?

"Our door will ask you a question you will need to answer before entering the Common Room," Emilia said "It's usually not something hard, at least not for a Ravenclaw. But, sometimes the door gives us something really tough. Last year we needed two hours to solve a puzzle it gave to us. It was almost ridiculous," she chuckled.

"What if I can't guess the answer?" Cass paled slightly.

"Oh, don't worry, you wouldn't be in Ravenclaw if you didn't have a certain aptitude for puzzles and riddles," Emilia said casually.

The large staircase was spiral and after a while, Cass was having trouble keeping up with Emilia. Then, they reached a door, and Emilia looked over at her with interest. She was going to test her and Cass just knew it.

"Come on, try it," she said "Just take the door knob and you will get your puzzle to solve."

Cass moved towards the door and reached slowly to grab the door knob shaped as a bronze eagle. That was when a voice, seemingly feminine answered.

_'What always eats and yet is always hungry?'_

Cassandra glanced over to Emilia who was smiling. She knew the answer but she wasn't going to tell her, not until she guessed herself. Cassandra concentrated while her journal was still in her left hand. She bit her lip and tried to search through her head. Her puzzle solving was always great and she had good aptitude for such things. Thrilled with the idea, she smirked.

"Fire," she said and the door knob slightly moved. Pushing it slightly she opened the door in front of her.

"You are a true Ravenclaw," Emilia said as she entered the room "Welcome to the Ravenclaw Common Room, Cassandra."

The room was large and round with big windows. The colors were, not surprisingly, blue and bronze, and there was a large female statue. The ceiling was painted blue and there were stars scattered around that gave the impression of a night sky. There were many book cases next to the walls, so the room somewhat resembled a beautiful library. It was still empty, so she deducted that the dinner wasn't over.

"The girls' dormitories are here," Emilia showed a door on the side "You will be in room with four other girls. You are free to look around and explore, but since it's late I have a Prefect meeting tonight, so I need to leave you alone for now."

Emilia smiled once more and left Cassandra alone in the large room. She entered the girls' dormitories albeit hesitantly. There were five beds, five chests and three closets that she would undoubtedly have to share with some of the girls. Also, near every bed there was a small table. The bed in the left corner was the only one that was empty. While the others had bags and things that were already scattered around, she assumed that the empty bed was hers.

She finally put her black journal onto the table, and before she could really change herself in her uniform that was resting on the table too, she just fell on the bed in her dirty clothes full of dust and closed her eyes. The smell of dust and Egypt filled her mind. She just wanted to go back home.

Silent sobs and tears streaming down her face somehow managed to lull her to sleep.

* * *

_I am aware not much has happened, but I really need some time to get to the core of the story. Cass has been a muggle her whole life, so it wouldn't be realistic if she just accepted things as they are and just went with it, right? Anyways, I already started writing the next chapter and it will be the first appearance of You-Know-Who... So I am super excited about that! Also, Cass will have some pretty hilarious mistakes as she starts her first classes in Hogwarts. Ever wanted to go to Hogwarts yourself? Well, let's see how that would've turned out!_

_R&R, and thanks for reading! :D ^^_


	3. Snakes and Lions

**Okay, sorry for the long wait! I am currently on my winter vacation in a different country, so I have troubles writing anything. But, I solemnly swear I won't abandon this story, and I am getting new ideas about it all the time. So, here goes the next chapter, hope you'll like it! ^^**

* * *

_**3. Snakes and Lions**_

She was cold and afraid. With a sudden huff of wind, the remaining candles around here were gone and she was left alone in the darkness. The cold ground beneath her feet was sending shivers along her spine. Where was she? It didn't matter how much she moved forward, towards the warmth, it was constantly slipping through her fingers because something was pulling her back into the same coldness she came from. She tried to open her mouth and scream for help, but no sound ever came from her lips. Finally, she felt her body surrendering to the cold darkness that was possessing her more by the second. Not too long after that, her bare soul surrendered.

It was chaos, but she belonged.

* * *

Cassandra opened her eyes, expecting to see the yellowish fabric of her old tent. She was surprised that Victoria never came to call her back to the tomb. In the end, Cass knew she cared, she just wasn't sure how to show it to her. But, Cassandra was used to Victoria's personality. That stubborn woman that happened to be her mother would never apologize first, not even if she knew it was her own fault. Guess that was why what she and Cass' father had didn't last for long.

Surprisingly enough, Cassandra woke up in a bed. After four months of sleeping on bare ground, she couldn't complain. Looking around the room with a deep frown, she slowly began to recognize her surroundings. When she fell asleep she half hoped that she would be back in Egypt when she woke up. She wasn't sure how to feel about the fact that she wasn't. As she recollected her memories from yesterday and suddenly realized she had a massive headache.

_That's what you get for traveling seventy years back in the past. _She sarcastically told to herself. All that thinking about what happened just few hours earlier gave her an uneasy feeling somewhere deep in her stomach. It grumbled in protest and she frowned. At least it seems like her appetite was still with her. Cassandra pursed her lips deciding that breakfast will have to wait until she takes a bath. She rose up from her bed, the room still engulfed in darkness, she realized it was barely four in the morning. The rest of the beds were full and Cass could see a few strands of hair here and there.

Trying not to wake up anyone or get any of the unwanted attention, she slipped into the bathroom. It wasn't big, but it seemed clean and comfy enough for her to use. She stripped down her dirty clothes and began scrubbing away the dirt and sweat from her body. With a sigh she realized that her daily clothes are never going to fit in the forties era. Brown baggy pants and a simple black tee wasn't something girls wore in that time, she was sure. A solution was needed but Cass decided that for now she was going to let herself relax. Whatever and wherever this was, the water was real enough for her and she didn't want to ruin this peaceful moment because she doubted after today there will be many of those.

After emerging from the bathroom in the new uniform, four pairs of eyes were looking at her. It was obvious they were surprised by the newest student in their dorm. Cass was sure that their stunned expressions were mirroring her own. After a few seconds in silence that seemed like a whole eternity, finally one of the girls smiled.

"You must be the new transfer student we've heard so much about," a girl that was nearest to her said and kept a small smile on her lips. She looked like a bottle blonde, with her platinum locks surrounding her heart shaped face and her light brown, almost yellowish eyes.

"I'm Tara Cray, and we are always glad to see new Ravenclaw girls around here," she pulled up from her bed and pulled her into a gentle hug that surprised Cassandra very much. Tara was very tall and thin, almost fragile looking. After she ended the short hug, she started playing with her locks of hair. Her smile never fading she pulled Cass into the center of the room. Her nails were manicured red and her fingers were long and elegant as she wrapped them around Cassandra's elbow.

"That there is Lena Remmington," a petite blonde nodded with a smile "Then we have Amelia Blake, who prefers to be called Amy," a dark haired girl waved slightly not really moving her gaze from the book in front of her "And, of course that over there is Evelyn Weasley," a red haired girl smiled widely at her.

"Umm.. It's nice to meet you, I'm Cassandra Amber, but you can call me Cass," she nodded towards the girls, who still looked at her with obvious interest, except Amy who kept her nose between the pages of the book in front of her.

"Fabulous! Now I suppose that our Emilia showed you around, but feel free to ask us anything you are interested in or don't understand, okay?" before Cass could answer, Tara continued "Now girls, we only have two more hours until breakfast starts, so we should begin preparing ourselves."

Just like that, Cassandra was forgotten as the morning euphoria began though their room. She walked to her bed, which was situated between Evelyn's and Amy's, and searched through the large wooden chest at the bottom of her bed. She was surprised to find a note from Dumbeldore in it, along with some books and a wooden stick - or a wand as the message suggested. It also contained the list of her subjects.

"We have Ancient Runes together," a small voice said behind her. She looked over to the red haired girl, Evelyn, who was standing behind her "If you want we can walk together."

"Oh, sure.. That's nice, " Cassandra wanted to sound more enthusiastic, but her voice somehow sounded disappointed. How was she supposed to get a grip in these subjects when she never even heard about them in the first place? She didn't even know what half of the subjects were.

"Your schedule is very full, you must've been a great student at your old school," Evelyn said after a while "Your grades were probably all Outstanding, since they don't let just anyone transfer here."

"Yeah, most of the time I was," Cassandra confirmed, although she doubted any of her knowledge in her school could be used in these classes "I just sometimes had problems with behavior and school rules," she shrugged.

"You should then watch out. There are some nasty detentions here," the girl gave her a knowing smile.

Before Cass could ask some more questions, Tara announced that they were ready to leave for breakfast. While Cassandra usually disliked being in a group, she decided that it was the best solution at the time. She didn't want to get lost or worse be left alone among all that weird people. Grabbing some of the things she needed, she hurried after Tara and her group of girls. Her new wand was stuffed in her pocket. It wasn't that long, perhaps 10 inches of dark, reddish wood. Somehow it was warm and familiar in between her fingers. Among those things, she carried her journal with herself, and she also took, albeit cautiously, the amulet and put it around her neck.

The hallways weren't that busy in the morning, but there were still some students walking around, talking and even running though. Tara walked proudly at the head of the group, elegantly strolling though the small crowds of students. She was still quite tall, but there was also something else surrounding her that made her look like she owned the place. Other girls and even some of the boys that walked by greeted her cheerfully and she returned with her charming smile across her full, red lips.

The large, wooden door in front of them opened and Cassandra finally got her first glimpse of the Great Hall everyone was talking about. It truly was large, with four long tables full of food in the middle of the room. The girls continued following Tara through the Hall, until they reached one of the middle two tables and sat. Reluctantly, Cass followed their movements.

"I doubt that will ever happen, Amy," Tara's voice sounded as cheerful as ever as she talked to the dark haired girl, who looked as serious and grim as ever "Someone from his family would never stoop down to that level," Lena flinched at her words and slightly blushed, although it was obvious that the words weren't directed to her.

"But, let's not talk about these things anymore," Tara obliviously continued her cheerful speech "Cassandra dear, although you are adorable when confused, I suppose we should explain some things here, right?"

Cassandra slightly pursed her lips and nodded, while other girls filled their plates with food. Tara's plate stayed empty.

"In front of us, we have the dazzling view of the school's most notorious students, the Slytherins," she said with a slightly sarcastic tone as Cass switched her gaze to the table next to the wall, right in front of them, whose students threw snarky remarks to other tables "They are not the friendliest bunch to other Houses. Well, they are not really friendly with each other either, so best to avoid them like most people do," Tara said simply.

"Behind us, we have the fluffy and yellow Hufflepuffs. They are usually friendly with everyone, if a little dull," Tara said with obvious distaste "Not the most interesting bunch, nor the most clever but they have their use,"

Amy looked over to the Hufflepuffs who mostly sat silent or talked were quietly between each other. Cass wasn't really interested in them, but certainly preferred them to the students from Slytherin.

"And, of course, on the other side of the room we have the Gryffindor, the bravest and certainly the loudest bunch in the school," Tara smiled widely as she turned towards them "They are great fun! But as you can see, they have some great deal of issues with the Slytherins ahead,"

Certainly, the loudest table in the room belonged to Gryffindors, who were all chatting loudly about school, people and their holidays.

"But, no worries, Ravenclaw is still the best House in Hogwarts," Tara added confidently and winked to Cassandra.

Even after the small lesson about the mysterious school she was in, Cass was still feeling a bit lost and confused. Her appetite was, thankfully, still good and she managed to eat a whole bunch of things before Tara once again announced that it was time for them to go to their first classes. Amy and Lena had double Arithmancy, while Tara had Muggle Studies. So, Evelyn and Cass were left to find their ways to Ancient Runes.

Again, Cass didn't really bother to remember the path. The school was so large and had so many large hallways that all resembled. It was crazy to even try and remember the way. So, she just continued walking slightly behind Evelyn Weasley while she led them to the classroom.

"So, are Runes tough here?" Cass asked, hoping to get some more detail about what they will be doing.

"Well, they aren't easy. Last year, only one fifth year student got an Outstanding," Evelyn said "It's quite interesting actually, but I was sick during one part of the school year so I missed a lot. In the end I was satisfied with an E,"

"Oh, yes E-s are good," Cass nodded, trying to sound like she understood what she was talking about.

"Yes, last year I had almost all E-s, and an A in Potions," Evelyn rolled her eyes "But I'm sure you will do great in both!" she beamed towards Cass.

They continued their walk in silence, as Cass tried to stall as much as she could. Stupid school with stupid classes. What brightened her day even more (if that was possible) was the fact that they shared the class with Slytherins. There were at least twenty of them in the classroom, while there were only three more Ravenclaws, beside Evelyn and Cass. Reluctantly, Cass sat next to her new friend, but she could very much feel the gazes of the Slytherins behind her plastered on the back of her head. _Damn the transfer student special treatment._

"Well, there are certainly fewer students than last year," Evelyn looked around the half-full classroom "And certainly more green color than I am used to."

"Charming," Cass shortly commented, sarcasm obvious in her voice. Why the hell did professor Dumbledore put her in this class? It was obviously tough for students who studied it for the past few years, so how was she supposed to fit in. Tara was smart to have Muggle Studies, because apparently it was an easy class almost everyone took because of the easy grades and simple tests.

"And here comes the King of the Snakes," Evelyn interrupted Cassandra's silent contemplation. Her voice was nothing like Cass was used to, it sounded harsh, almost hateful. She raised her head over to the place where Evelyn's gaze was drilling a hole.

He was standing next to the other Slytherins who were talking about something with malicious smirks on their lips. He was, on the other hand, completely calm and collected. His Ancient Runes book was standing ready and open in front of him as he watched other students in the classroom. His House mates were obviously trying to pull him into their conversation, but he didn't seem to be interested. Cass was ready to admit that he was very handsome, with his dark hair and green eyes, but that didn't mean she liked him. There was something about the way he sat there like he owned everything and knew everyone's deepest secrets that made her unnerved and gave her the chills.

"Who's he?" she finally asked, tearing her gaze away from him.

"Tom Riddle," Evelyn answered coldly "The best student in our generation and the male Prefect for Slytherin, undoubtedly the future Head Boy, the idol for most guys in the school and the guy who probably has half of the girls in here swooning," she rolled her eyes "In fewer words, an arrogant prick with good acting skills."

Cassandra opened her mouth to ask something else about him, but in that moment the teacher came in. It was an old woman with gray hair and big, blue eyes hidden behind her large glasses. Her name was Rosemary Sitch, and Cassandra almost immediately decided she liked her.

"Welcome students to sixth year class for the Study of Ancient Runes," the teacher started "This year, we are fewer in numbers but that doesn't mean the classes will be any less interesting than the last year. In sixth year we will be learning about Egyptian and Mayan runes," finally some words she could understand. With little luck, she will have little trouble understanding Egyptian runes. Mayan might be slightly more of a challenge, but at least she knew with what she will be dealing with.

"Also, I understood we have a new student in class, am I right?" the professor's gaze turned to Cassandra who was again uncomfortable with all the attention "Will you please introduce yourself, dear?"

With shaky legs she stood up and took a deep breath. She always hated introductions when she switched schools home.

"My name is Cassandra Amber," she bit her lip. What the hell was she suppose to say? "I.. I have a certain level of knowledge already concerning Egyptian runes, since those were always my favorite."

She lied swiftly, hoping that no one noticed. With the corner of her eye she could see that the Slytherins were now obviously looking at her. Cassandra took a deep breath, hoping that the professor won't ask her any other questions about her past, her future or whatever.

"Wonderful! Then I am sure you won't have nay trouble fitting in." the professor smiled widely and turned away. Thankful, she sat back down in her seat, her heart racing in her chest.

Somewhere mid-way though the class, Cassandra finally found herself relaxing. She was, as were all the other students, translating ancient Egyptian runes in silence. She quickly understood what was she supposed to do and she was finishing her work fairly fast. Evelyn was good too, but she had gotten stuck on one of the symbols and was trying to make sense of it.

Sometime soon, Cassandra finally finished all of her paragraphs and rose from her seat to bring them to the professor. Finishing all her work on classes was a great way to get rid of the homework. Heavens knew she needed all of her free time here in order to find a way to escape this place and time. But seconds before she could place her work on the table, someone was faster. Cassandra rose her gaze up to meet the cold green eyes of the Slytherin.

"Perfect, as always Mr Riddle," professor said with a wide smile after examining his work and turning towards hers.

"Thank you, professor," he said. His voice sounded perfect also, with the words and the tone matched wonderfully to create the mask of politeness. Beside him, Cass slightly pursed her lips, she had to admit he was good.

"Ms Amber, I have to say that your work is also wonderfully done," professor added "Perhaps this year we will have more Outstanding grades than last time. Both Slytherin and Ravenclaw get ten points"

Cassandra gave an honest and wide smile to the professor as she returned to her seat. She couldn't have imagined this class any better than it was. By the time that it ended, only one more student finished the task, but it wasn't as good as hers or Riddle's. Everyone else had homework to finish by the next class. Evelyn was nearly done with her translation so she didn't have much homework left.

* * *

"Say, Evelyn, this place does have a library, right?" Cassandra asked while they walked through the hallways on their way to the Transfiguration. Evelyn nodded, as her mouth was full of some cookies she took from the Great Hall on their way.

"You're going to take me there sometime today, right?" she asked, and yet again in response got another nod. Cassandra just couldn't leave her faith in the hands of someone other than herself. She hoped that there was a chance of her cracking this case on her own, or at least solving a piece of it.

She was thankful that her next class was shared with Hufflepuffs, but the fact that she needed to work some actual magic in it, didn't made her feel any better. Completely uninterested for whatever professor Dumbledore was talking about she continued thinking about the library, certain she could find something that could at least shed some light on what was happening. Cassandra raised one of her hands and touched the amulet that was still cold against her skin. She tried to stay out of everything and keep a low profile, but it was getting harder at each given moment. Questions were rising out of nowhere and she felt that some student were already suspicious of her. While some might be naive enough to accept her right away, she knew that some of the smarter and more ambitious ones were already asking around about her past. The only problem with that was that even she wasn't sure what her past was.

* * *

**He said three words, and yet he seemed perfect... Well, that remains to be seen. Anyway, the pressure is now bigger than ever on Cass, and as the writer I can only promise that it will get much worse for her. Next time we have some dueling, some embarassing situations for our dear ex-muggle girl. Also a visit to the library and the first Potions class that will be very interesting by all accounts! Of course, I promise some more of out favorite Slytherin to make things even more interesting for Cassandra!**

**R&R, thanks! ^^**


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